Encourage Yourself In The Lord
Introduction
1Samuel.30:1-6. “And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire.”
2: “And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.”
3: “So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.”
4: “Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.”
5: “And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.”
6: “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”
7: “And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.”
8: “And David enquired at the LORD, saying, shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And He answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.”
“Anyone can give up; it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.”
One of the greatest challenges and somewhat sad reality of how we choose to live our lives is the fact that to a disproportionate degree we are products of how other people view us and feel about us.
This has then led to a rise of depression, anxiety and in some extreme cases suicide, why? Because many of us cannot cope when other people either talk about us negatively or do not value us as a person.
We all want someone to care about us and like us because we find value and purpose in ourselves when those who live in our context validate our existence.
We feel good when others tell us “Oh you will make a real good singer,” even when they cannot not sing a note to save their own life.
We feel good when others tell us “Oh you are a really great preacher,” even though real truth is they know nothing about preaching and the last time they picked up their bible was in two thousand and never.
We feel good when others tell us we dress smart and we should take up modeling while they never match and the last time they polished their shoes was Christmas 07.
We feel good when others tell us your definitely the one for me because you are all that with a bag of chips, chocolate chip cookies and a diet sprite, however the real issue is not so much are you the one for them but are they the one for you?
And so we function and make decisions and based upon the perceptions of others which have not only caused great heartache and needless stress but it is also a recipe for living a life that can become futile.
For if you did not know then it is about time you woke up and realized people will tell you one thing today and then something else tomorrow and the most disturbing thing is I do not care how much we think we know someone the truth is we don’t.
Because sooner or later we all face something or some challenge in this life and when we turn around to find someone we thought cared to stand by us or even just give us a word to encourage us our world comes crashing down around us because we now realize we have no one and we are alone.
And this is the question that pervades our lives within the juncture between life and death, what do we do when we have no one to stand with us or encourage us when we are distressed?
Because if we cannot answer that then many of us will find ourselves between a rock and a hard place or their maybe a few of us who are there right now and we are struggling because the people we thought had our back really never had us at all.
That’s why in these critical moments of this world’s history we have to learn to encourage ourselves in the Lord for not only is the best friend we can ever have but when everyone else forsakes us and lets us down I want to testify we can trust Him.
Can I get a couple of witnesses who can declare that yes your so called friends have let you down when you needed them the most but Jesus has not only had your back but you trust Him?
You Trust Him – because you have seen Him make a way when there really was no way to be found.
You Trust Him – because He has supplied all your needs according to His riches in glory.
You Trust Him – because no one knows the trouble you have seen no one knows but Jesus.
You Trust Him – because He has been your shelter in the time of storm.
But if you cannot holla at me because you are not sure if you trust Him then can I holla back at myself, I trust Him.
I Trust Him – look how He brought me out.
I Trust Him – look how He turned my life around.
I Trust Him – look at where I was and where I am now.
I Trust Him – every time I have fallen He has picked me up.
I Trust Him – that’s why every time I think about the goodness of Jesus it makes have to shout He’s alright.
Information
So the story unfolds in 1Samuel.30: with David returning to Ziklag where he had taken refuge from Saul after befriending Achish the son of Maoch who was the King of Gath.
He is living in Philistine country because he realizes that Saul is too scared to come into that territory to kill him and the situation is a deep one because he is in the enemy’s country running from the enemy who use to be his friend.
For in the previous chapters David could have killed Saul while he was sleeping and when Abishai who was Joab’s nephew saw him sleeping he declared to David let me run his own spear right through him, so that he will trouble you no more.
But David replies by telling him I will not touch the Lord’s anointed but let the Lord deal with him, because the Lord set him up to be King and He is also able to bring him down.
And I know that we are only assessing the historical background of the narrative but I think someone needs to get this part the King is trying to not just hurt David but kill him.
And while he is sleeping David has the ideal chance to not only attack him but actually end his life, but instead he turns vengeance over to the Lord.
And here is a word for someone in here today, stop trying to kill the men and women of God even when they do not act right, because David said I will not touch the Lord’s anointed.
For if he does it, two wrongs will not make the evil right so he says God has to deal with that situation not me, and we are yet to learn your job is not to destroy people’s ministry but pray that God will intervene and restore order.
Pray for the preachers – when the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
Pray for the preachers – when there are demons raging about our soul.
Pray for the preachers – when everyone says lets go this way but God tells us no, we are going that way.
Pray for the preachers – because we are not just doing a 9 – 5 but we are wrestling not against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers.
Pray for the preachers – because the anointing does not run from the feet up, but from the head down.
Pray for the preachers – because we are not in control but God has the last word.
I know we are living in a context where there is not much respect for the men and women of God in this 21st century whenever and whatever context.
I know there have been ministerial causalities from internal wars in the pews and plans and schemes to bring the preacher down by hook or by crook but God didn’t ask for your help because the battle is not yours it is His.
All I want to know is can we still find a couple of God fearing bible believing saints who know and understand that now is the time to pray for the ministry so that God’s purpose will be fulfilled?
So David now finds himself in a precarious predicament because the Philistines are about to attack the Saul’s army and David because of his allegiance to Abishai, is also willing to be part of the battle.
The Philistines when they learn that David wants to be involved become real mad and hostile and tell Abishai tell him to go back where he came from because we do not trust him and after much objection Abishai brings the bad news to David that he and his men need to go back to Ziglag.
So now, as they finally arrive at the city to their horror and dismay the dreaded Amalekites who Saul in passed times had refused to destroy and who David had attacked over and over again have now come back with a vengeance.
They burned the city and took all the women and children captive and the texted records that when David and his men saw what had transpired they wept so deep that they cried until they had no more power to cry.
It is a deep thing when the enemy of our souls does not inflict his attacks on us but reigns terror and mayhem on those closest to us family.
And the truth of the text is this we need to understand that Amalekites attacked when the women and children had no protection they did not fight fare but real dirty.
And so it is within the Christian walk and warfare the devil does not play fare but he attacks and sometimes holds captive those we love dearly because he understands and knows nothing hurts more than when he can get to our family.
You have missed it when David and the men saw that they had lost their families they wept with much distress and bitterness because they not only cared but loved them deeply.
But when we within the context of the church loose family our church family and just in case we do not think they are family we are sons and daughters of the Most High God and we are united by coming under the sacrifice of His blood so we are family we are not just friends but family.
We do not weep with a deep sense of loss but instead we talk negatively about them or put their business out there because we love to gossip and sometimes we even celebrate when others fall because it makes us look good.
But the text said that they cried literally like little babies grown men, fighting men, hard men bawling because they realized they were helpless and distressed by their loss.
It’s our loss – when our youth are taken captive by drugs.
It’s our loss – when our young men are taken captive by gangs.
It’s our loss – when our young ladies are taken captive by abusive relationships.
It’s our loss – when our wives have to live in a shelter because they have been battered by intoxicated husbands.
It’s our loss – when our members leave here because they have been talked about and mistreated for years.
It’s our loss – when many of our men are taken captive by pornography because do not know who to talk too.
It’s our loss – when the enemy has come in and not only taken many of our family member’s captive but still has them captive right now.
And here is the reality of the situation David was sowing what he reaped because you cannot expect to wage war or do your thing to someone and sooner or later they will not retaliate.
The Amalekites were sick and tired of being attacked by David so the first chance they got they hit him where it hurts, (footnote) remember sooner or later whatever we sow, we will reap it.
The men when they realized how deep this loss was soon their tears of pain turned to anger, they blamed David because it was under his orders that they went out battle and left their families defenseless.
And here it comes the same men who he had lead and been there for through thick and thin now turn around in their anger and thirst for revenge and declare, “we should stone him.”
Is it not amazing that when things are going good for you as a leader, teacher, pastor whatever your vocation maybe how those who claim to be our friends want to share the limelight of success and favor?
But when things go bad real bad especially when the enemy comes in like a flood all of a sudden we are not popular anymore but we become the recipient of hostility and even destruction.
And the truth is those dark moments or low seasons many a time we find ourselves totally alone because it is not when we are on top of the world that we know who has our back but when the world comes crashing down on us.
And it is in those moments of life and leadership that we realize how shallow some people really are because it is when things are at an all time low that true friends and real family come together but like these men instead of coming with words of encouragement we come with stones.
Stone him – because the youth are a mess.
Stone him – because our marriages are falling apart.
Stone him – because we are dying as a church.
Stone him – because we want him to preach stuff to make us feel good.
Stone him – because we need someone to blame.
Stone him that is what they wanted to do with David and to David and in his distress over his loss and their reaction, the bible says that David decided that if no one was going to encourage him, then he was going to encourage himself in the Lord.
And I am not quite sure who has loss some people they or who has come under the ridicule of those people who you thought had your back turning on you?
But can I give you a word if you are here and you are feeling low and no one has brought you a word of hope or encouragement, then today you need to learn to encourage yourself in the Lord.
1: When we are weak He is Strong
Few men have an adequate conviction of their own helplessness; and one aim of the Divine discipline is to produce it.
“When I am weak,” said Paul, “then am I strong,” when I feel my utter weakness under the pressure of trial, then I am constrained to depend on the Lord, and become imbued with His strength.
In the exercise of “the same spirit of faith” others “out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”
True faith and spiritual power have their foundation amidst the “dust and ashes” of self-abasement and self-distrust.
Confidence in God began to revive in David when Ziklag was reduced to ashes. The same thing is often occasioned in others by means of sudden and severe bereavement, wife and children; it may be, taken away with a stroke.
The failure of cherished plans and purposes, the loss of property through robbery by men, or accidents by fire or flood, the breakdown of health, the disappointment of long expectation.
The falling away of friends; their unreasonable anger and bitter reproaches, it must have been peculiarly painful to David to bear the mutiny of his own men, to witness the selfishness of many of them and to learn what little confidence could be put in man.
He was left almost alone, the upbraiding of conscience for past sin. Trouble is a powerful means of bringing sin to remembrance, the threatening of danger; the presence of “the king of terrors,” the lack of wisdom and power to deliver from distress.
When we become fully aware of our utter helplessness, two courses lie open before us either to sink into despair or to cast ourselves wholly upon God.
That the latter may be taken trial is sent; it is taken by him whose heart is in the main right with God, and it is never taken in vain.
We never really know what are made of until we come to a season when we have no one to encourage us or help us in our situation, it is then we are either driven to He who is all powerful or we sink into our personal abyss of sorrow.
This separates the real children from those who constantly fake it to make it, because it is one thing to encourage someone because it sounds good at the time, but it is another thing to learn to encourage yourself when you are in a real deep mess.
David encouraged Himself in the Lord what does this mean, He began to look back at how God had delivered Him in the past and how it was God who had kept Him thus far.
He realized that even though there was mutiny amongst his men and they had turned on him it was then he needed to turn to God because contrary to what men may say if God be for us who can be against us?
So he encouraged himself in the Lord, but David could have never have encouraged himself in the Lord if He and the Lord had never been through some stuff already.
If you have not been in it with Lord, how can you ever take hope from the fact that He brought through it, if you never allowed Him to leave you in it, how would you be able to celebrate the fact the by His grace you are still standing because you overcame it?
Can I get a couple of witnesses in this place who can testify I been in some stuff and but by the power of the risen Christ He brought you through it?
He brought you through a broken relationship.
He brought you through piles of debt.
He brought you through losing a loved one.
He brought you through sickness in your body.
He brought you through trouble in your mind.
He brought you through broken promises.
He brought you through shattered dreams.
Stand up right now and open your mouth and encourage yourself in the Lord and let the devil know I may be down but I am not out, because as long as I have Jesus everything will be alright.
I feel alright – because God has my back.
I feel alright – He is right by my side.
I feel alright – because He is a very present help in my time of need.
I feel alright – because greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.
I feel alright – because weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.
I feel alright – because He is the source of my strength and the strength of my life.
When you have no one to talk to or anyone who even sound like they care what you are going through, don’t throw a pity part and give up but encourage yourself in the Lord.
2: Help is available if we ask for it
When David could not comfort himself in his wives, or his children, or his goods, or in anything under the sun, he could in something above the sun.
And the reason is at hand: God is the God of all consolation, the spring of comfort; if any water, it is in the sea; if any light, it is in the sun; if any comfort, it is in God there it rests, there it is when nowhere else.
God is all-sufficient; there the heart finds every want supplied, every good thing lodged. As God is all-sufficient to furnish us with all necessaries, so infinite in power, wisdom, and goodness to help us against all evils feared or felt.
Faith strengthens the soul by uniting it to God and making it partaker of His strength, and we are yet to fully comprehend the depth of love that God has for His children in their times of distress.
But the issue is instead of seeking Him when things go wrong we try to find solutions to things we cannot fix especially demonic attacks.
There are some things that are outside the realm of human wisdom and far deeper than our mental capabilities to fix things that have gone deeply wrong in our lives.
When we lose stuff and people we love because the enemy of our souls gains a temporal victory the worst thing we can try to do is fight him with a carnal attitude and worldly methods because they do not work.
Dr Phil cannot help us when our children are taken captive by demons who have been assigned to not only trap them but destroy them.
Oprah cannot help us when our spouses have completely lost their mind and all hell breaks loose in the home because the devil knows if he can break the family then society will be reduced to nothing.
Barack Obama cannot help us when a time of trouble since there never was a nation on this earth finally erupts because then the devil will have complete freedom with no one to check him.
We cannot fight spiritual battles with earthly tools because the weapons of our warfare rest outside of ourselves, they are lodged in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
So we must come and call because He is willing to answer us and come to our aid, don’t you know that we are children of the Most High God and all power is given to Him in heaven and in the earth.
There is power to meet every trial, every attack because He whipped the devil in heaven and in case you didn’t realize is ready to whip Him again.
But we have to learn to call on that name because at the name of Jesus demons tremble and power wonder working power is unleashed; don’t play with someone who knows how to call on their God because when He answers whatever is in the way will be brought down.
Call Him – when you’re heart is overwhelmed.
Call Him – when you’re trapped and there is no way out.
Call Him – when the situation looks impossible because when He shows up and He will show you out.
Call Him – because He specializes in turning crazy circumstances around.
Call Him – because while everyone else may leave you in your trials He will work it out for your good.
Call Him – because He has already promised He would never leave us or forsake, He may not come when we want Him too, but can I get a witness He always does His thing right on time.
3: In Jesus we can recover it all
So the text says; 8: “And David enquired at the LORD, saying, shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And He answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.”
Because David has the good sense to not only encourage himself in the Lord but also ask God to move on the situation what was meant for evil turns out for good.
By the help obtained of God fear is removed, strength renewed, and confidence inspired, after a brief delay and some untoward events by which faith is still further tested, a few days after David’s own people were about to stone him on the ruins of Ziklag, the royal crown was laid at his feet.
God tells David you and you’re man go after the enemy and take back what is rightfully yours so because God said go for them David is willing to fight for them.
And on his arrival he only has four hundred men against the Amalekites who considerable outnumbered them, the texted said that fought from twilight until the next evening and only four hundred of the Amalekites escaped because they had camels.
They fought all night, then all morning, then all afternoon until the evening why? Because when God says go for it the battle is already one even there are more of them than more than us.
And all that was lost was recovered that day, because our God is faithful, David did not lose anything, but recovered everything and much more.
Celebration
So who are you today? You may be in the middle of something or you may have lost some people or friends at the hand of the enemy and you came here thinking it is what it is and you feel defeated and broken.
I stopped by here to let you know that you may think it is over but it is not over until my God says it is over so if God says go and get what you lost then you have to fight so that you can recover it all.
Go and fight for your children – they do not belong to bound in sin, they belong to God’s family.
Go and fight for your spouse – I don’t care how bad things look you said until death do we part.
Go and fight for your family members – drugs and alcohol will not have the final say.
Go and fight for your community – break down the strong holds of despair by lifting up the name of Jesus.
Have I got a couple of people who are ready to take up the blood stained banner of Jesus Christ and let the devil know I am not playing with you I want my stuff back and Jesus said come for it so I am willing to fight for it?
And when I come for what I have lost you will lose because if God is for me then I don’t care how messed up the situation looks I shall recover it all.
I will recover my health – because I am sick and tired of being told there is no cure.
I will recover my pride – because I am sick and tired of feeling sorry for myself over past mistakes.
I will recover my vision – because the Lord brought me here for a reason.
I will recover my peace – because every trap the enemy has set will not, cannot work.
I will recover my joy – because this joy that I have the world did not give it and the world cannot take it away.
Can I get a couple of people to stand up and encourage themselves right now and give God some praise because you truly believe you can recover it all?
Encourage yourself in the Lord – we walk by faith and not by sight.
Encourage yourself in the Lord – the Lord is my Shepherd I shall not what.
Encourage yourself in the Lord – all things work together for good to them that love the Lord.
Encourage yourself in the Lord – He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
Encourage yourself in the Lord – peace I give to you, my peace I give to you.
Encourage yourself in the Lord – silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Encourage yourself in the Lord – Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
Encourage yourself in the Lord – the Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear.
Encourage yourself in the Lord – bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name.
Encourage yourself in the Lord – praise the Lord in the sanctuary.
Praise Him – for His might acts.
Praise Him – according to His excellent greatness.
Praise Him – with the sound of the trumpet.
Praise Him – with the psaltery and the harp.
Praise Him – with the timbrel and dance.
Praise Him – with the stringed instruments and organs.
Praise Him – upon the loud cymbals.
Praise Him – upon the high sounding symbals.
Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord, praise ye the Lord.
